NY
by Dem0nFl0wer
Summary: 1x2. AU. A modern day Cinderella story, as Duo Maxwell moves to New York to pursue his dreams.
1. Prologue

NY  
Prologue  
  
  
To: Quatre  
  
CC:  
  
Subject: Here I Am, Baby!!  
  
Wow! I'm finally here! And God, is New York a great city. I'm sorry I haven't written earlier, but I've just been so busy getting settled. I bought a dump of a place in South End, it's overrun with cockroaches and rats and I LOVE IT! Some guys from college took me out my first night here, we must have hit at least ten clubs that night...I came home at noon and passed out...but don't worry! I'm being responsible, I swear!  
  
I go jogging in Central Park every morning now. It's amazing who you see there, I swear every famous person in the city jogs there. I saw that actor guy, you know in that boring drama flick you always made me watch, walking his baby there with his model wife, Natasha whatever, and they stopped to talk with this other actor guy, God I'm bad with names, but he's in that sci-fi film I like, remember? Sure you do. Well anyway, they were talking about...get this...their kids! They act just like normal people...go figure.  
  
I even got a job- GO ME! But you know, when I came here to get into the fashion industry, I never imagined I´d be doing this. Sure, technically, I'm in couture, but still...any way, I work for the Barton couture house, you know, as in Trowa? Oh, of course you do, he only designs clothing for EVERYONE! I don't get to do any actual designing or anything, though. I work at one of his boutiques, and I'm not even a personal shopper or anything. No, you actually have to have money to even work sales at one of these stores. I'm keeping the books for the manager...I knew that accounting degree would come in handy some day! At least I'm close to working in fashion, though. Hopefully I´ll be able to get my foot in the door- keep your fingers crossed for me!  
  
In the mean time, I hate my job. I'm in the back room most of the time, though, so I don't have to deal with the snobs that come in. But then again, I don't get to see the famous people who come in, either. :( The manager's name is Wufei Chang, Mister Chang to every one he thinks he's better than (this includes me). He's an arrogant snot, always sucking up to the elite clientele and turning away the mere mortals who stumble in. There are these two girls who come in a lot, though, debutante princesses who have nothing to do but spend money, names of Relena Peacecraft and Dorothy Catalonia. Chang sucks up to them big time, since their parents are in politics or something and they're loaded. Old money, you know. He's always complimenting them and stuff like that. One good thing I can say about him, though, is that I don't think he's lying when he compliments them like that. Sure, with every one else he's lying, but with them I think he really means in. He treats them like little sisters, or even daughters. They like him a lot too. Recently they've all been talking about this guy, Heero Yuy, he's old money too, family from New England and dating back to forever...they were probably the ones that pushed the Native Americans inland. You know, that type of family. He's probably never had to work a day in his life. Any way, he's coming back from Italy, where he was off spending his allowance with another high class type guy, really risqué name, though I can't remember what...I really have been listening to too much of their gossip. Anyway, things didn't work out and Sex or whatever his name was left Yuy for some Russian aristocrat...it was some big scandal. So now Yuy´s back in town, and single, and word is his mom is looking for some one proper to marry him off too. Proper as in, you know, wealthy but not bourgeoisie, God forbid he marries some one who actually worked for their money. Rumor around the elitist social circles is that she's planning a cotillion ball full of young, proper boys and girls, so Mr.Yuy can have his pick of spouses. Relena and Dorothy, of course, are both ga ga over the news, and are going through the designers looking for the perfect dresses...and the invitations haven't even gone out yet. And you know, they haven't even met the guy. They just know his stats. I never did understand people like them. Still, I've never been to a ball before...it would be kind of fun to go, just to see what it was like. Oh well, no chance of that happening. Maybe when I'm a famous designer!  
  
That's pretty much everything in my life now...sad, huh? E-mail me back, `kay Quat?   
  
~Duo   



	2. Chapter One

NY  
Chapter One  
  
  
Duo sighed, trying to find the right records on the computer.  
  
"Maxwell," Chang said curtly, "shouldn't you be in the back?"  
  
He didn't have to add the 'where the customers can't see you' bit, Duo had deduced that for himself.  
  
"Yeah, I just have to find some things out here first."  
  
Wufei nodded hesitantly, then smiled when Relena and Dorothy stepped through the door.  
  
"Lena, Cat! It's so great to see you two!"  
  
Wufei exchanged kisses on both cheeks with the girls.  
  
"Are you two here for the new collection?"  
  
Relena nodded. "It's official- both Dorothy and I have received invitations from Mrs.Yuy. And we have absolutely nothing to wear!"  
  
Wufei nodded, leading the girls into the lounge area. "I'll just have our models show you things from our winter collection. Most of the evening wear collection won't be released until the show, but Mister Barton sent us a few pieces just this morning."  
  
Wufei called into a telephone for the store's models, Claudette and Sylvia, to come showcase the new dresses.  
  
"That's perfect," said Dorothy, "so no one else has seen these gowns yet?"  
  
Wufei shook his head proudly. "You girls can have the first pick."  
  
Duo half watched as Relena and Dorothy 'oohed' and 'aahed' at the dresses the models were wearing. He had to admit, the gowns were gorgeous, and probably cost a few thousand each too. He sighed, and Relena looked over, smiling at the obviously common boy in front of her.  
  
"Is something wrong?" she asked, deciding that it would be an act of goodwill for her to listen to his problems.  
  
Duo twiddled the pencil that he was holding, surprised that Relena would care. He could see Wufei behind her, looking on the conversation disapprovingly. There was nothing he could do about it, though, since it had been Relena who had instigated the discussion.  
  
"Oh, it's nothing really," he started, "it's just that I would never be able to afford one of these dresses to wear to the ball."  
  
Dorothy laughed a little. "You, go to the ball?"  
  
"Yeah, my friend Quatre Winner sent me an invitation."  
  
Relena didn't say anything, but Duo could tell she disapproved. Whether of Quatre Winner or him going to the ball, he didn't know. It was probably both.  
  
"Winner?" Dorothy asked. "That nouveaulle-riche family that made a fortune on satellite resources? I can't believe he got an invitation."  
  
"You can't possibly be thinking of going to the ball," Wufei interrupted.  
  
"Actually, I was."  
  
Relena fixed Duo with a condescending gaze. "Look, ummm…"  
  
"Duo."  
  
"Duo, you should think about this. You have no money, and absolutely no connections. You're way out of your league with the company that will be at the ball; you'll just feel like an outsider the whole time."  
  
Dorothy nodded. "How much fun can you possibly have there? And if you're looking for a marriage prospect, what makes you think Heero would even consider you?"  
  
"I'm not looking for a marriage prospect," Duo said dryly. It bothered him that they would think he was just going to find a husband; he wasn't like them, some status seeking gold digger. But they had made some valid points; how much fun could he possibly have with people who just looked down on him?  
  
"Duo," said Wufei, "I know a girl who would love to have your invitation, a European aristocrat."  
  
"Oh, Sylvia?" asked Relena. "That would be perfect. She never got an invitation, you see, since she was in this dreary accident on safari and no one knew how to contact her."   
  
Duo frowned. "You want me to give her my invitation?"  
  
"Oh, we can take it to her," said Dorothy.   
  
"I'm sure she'd appreciate your generosity," said Wufei, who was giving him a 'do-it-or-you're-fired' type of look. Duo handed the envelope to Dorothy, who placed it in her Prada purse. It had been a nice gesture on Quatre's part, but it was probably best that he didn't go. This Sylvia would probably be much more suited to that type of setting. The girls went back to their shopping, and Duo watched as Relena picked out a flowing sleeveless pink gown obviously inspired by vintage Dior, maybe late 1990s. Dorothy took longer to make her selection, settling on a black chiffon dress. Wufei sent the gowns to be fitted and the girls left the store.  
  
"How come you're still out here?" Wufei asked, turning back to Duo.  
  
"Oh, sorry, I still haven't found what I was looking for."  
  
"Well, why don't you go home for now? It looks like it's going to be a busy day; you can finish your work here after the store's closed."  
  
Duo picked up his things and left, not one to argue with an extended break, as long as Wufei was still paying for his time. He decided to take a walk through Central Park before grabbing some food. Just as he was about to sit down on a bench a man with long platinum hair came running by him.  
  
A slightly nasal voice called out. "Wait, Zechs!"  
  
Duo turned around as some one crashed into him. He pushed himself off the floor, seeing a pissed off boy around his age sprawled down next to him. "Hey, man, I'm sorry."  
  
The other boy got up and brushed off his dress shirt. "You had better be. If you got any dirt on my clothes, omae o ko-"  
  
"Hey, you were the one that ran into me. As in, your fault, not mine."  
  
The boy snorted. "I don't have time for this."  
  
Duo tumbled back a few steps as the boy shoved him out of the way. "Zechs, matte!"  
  
Duo watched as the boy ran away. Zechs…he knew that name. That would mean that the asshole that crashed into him was Heero Yuy. He felt sorry for Relena and Dorothy, if that were the kind of guy they were after, and didn't feel so bad that he wasn't going.  
  
* * *  
  
Duo wrote the figures down into a notebook. It was the night of the ball, and he was here working overtime. At least the money was good. Relena and Dorothy were probably at some ritzy salon right now, getting their hair and make up done to coordinate with their dresses. Although he didn't have any interest in Yuy or the ball, he still felt kind of disappointed that he was here instead of there. He attributed his disappointment to the fact that everyone wanted to feel like a prince or princess once in their lives. Suddenly he heard a knock at the back door, and went to open it, figuring it was some bum that wanted handouts.  
  
"Look," he said, opening the door, "we don't have-"  
  
Duo stopped as he got a good look at who it was. The man was wearing knee high black boots over skin tight black leather pants and a untucked white shirt that blew loosely in the breeze, sleeves rolled up to the elbows.  
  
"Trowa Barton?" Duo gasped. The man chuckled and nodded, exhaling out a puff of smoke from his cigarette. That was when Duo noticed the entourage of people sitting in the stretch limo outside.  
  
"Would you like to come in?" he managed to squeak before holding the door open wider.   
  
Trowa glided into the room, brushing his signature bang aside a little before it fell back into place. "Is Mr. Chang here?"  
  
Duo shook his head as Trowa turned to look at him.   
  
"So why aren't you at the party?"  
  
"Party?"  
  
"The Yuy bash."  
  
"Oh, ummm…well, I was going to go, you see, my friend Quatre sent me an invitation…"  
  
Trowa's eyes seemed to light up as he interrupted Duo. "Quatre? As in Quatre Winner?"  
  
"Yeah, we're best friends."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Anyway, so I had an invitation, and was going to go except I didn't have anything to wear. And then Relena Peacecraft and Dorothy Catalonia, along with my boss, convince me that I don't want to go, that I wouldn't fit in on account of my being low class and all."  
  
"Yeah, that sounds like them. Quatre gets a lot of attitude from those types." Trowa turned to face Duo. "Do you want to go to the ball?"  
  
"No… I mean, kind of… well, yeah, just to see what it's all about."  
  
"Then take my invitation." Trowa held out a white envelope with gilded lettering. "The invites were printed with 14 karat gold, you know. The Yuys spare no expenses."  
  
"But what about you?"  
  
Trowa shrugged. "I've been too enough balls and cotillions for this year."  
  
"But I have nothing to wear."  
  
Trowa pulled out a tiny cell phone from his pocket, talking into it in Spanish. In a few moments a girl came into the store, holding a dress bag.  
  
"Duo, this is my assistant Lily. And this," he opened the box, "is your dress."  
  
Duo looked at the dress. It was made from a light blue fabric that gleamed in the light, silver embroidery stitched into all the right places in just the right designs. It flowed within the box's confines, like some kind of crystal ocean. The cut was basic enough, fitted and long, with slinky straps that trailed down a very low cut back. More silver threads ran across the back in a loose spider web. The dress as a whole might have been the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.  
  
"The fabric's from Egypt," Trowa said, "my textile people came on it by chance. They say the fabric was made out of flower petals, but I don't know if I believe that. The stitching you see, and the back threads? It's spun platinum. We had that done by this lady in South Africa."  
  
"This must be expensive."  
  
"It is." Trowa laughed. "And it's all yours for tonight. Now go change."  
  
Duo went into the dressing room, taking off his own clothes to try the dress on. Looking in the mirror, he was amazed by how well it fit. It was if it had been made for him, curving around him in all the right places. He came out of the dressing room, surprised to see Lily with a curling iron.  
  
"Now," said Trowa, "we can't let you go to the ball with your hair like that."  
  
Lily pulled Duo to sit in front of her, unraveling his braid. When she was finished Duo looked in the mirror. The top half of his hair was pulled up and back, then cascaded down his back with the rest of his hair in loose curls. Silver threads weaved in and out of his hair, curling along with the loose ends. Lily then proceeded to do his make-up.  
  
"Just some silver eye shadow and stuff like that," she winked at him, "you really don't need make-up."  
  
Duo smiled at the compliment.  
  
"Come on, then," Trowa said, pulling Duo up. "You're all ready."  
  
Trowa led Duo into his limo, where he squeezed in among all the other people already there. Trowa turned to Duo as the car turned out of the parking lot.  
  
"Now, Duo, I need that dress back by midnight so I can have it fitted to my model for the fashion show. Will that be a problem?"  
  
Duo shook his head no. He didn't think he could spend too much time in there anyway.  
  
"Good, here's the address of my studio. Remember to have the dress back to me on time, okay?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Trowa noticed that Duo was looking down at the ground a lot. "What's wrong?"  
  
Duo looked up. "It's just…well, my feet."  
  
Trowa looked down to find Adidas sneakers popping out from under the blue fabric.  
  
"Oops, I forgot the shoes. Hmm…and we don't have any panty hose. That's okay, I have a pair of shoes here, and they're open toe, so you won't need stockings."  
  
Lily pulled out a box from under the seat, handing them to Duo.  
  
"What are these, glass?" Duo held up a shoe. The heel wasn't too high, and it would slip right on… but how would he walk in glass?  
  
Trowa nodded proudly. "Just try them on, they're not too bad."  
  
Duo took off his sneakers and slipped on the glass shoes. "I guess not."  
  
The limo stopped and Trowa ushered Duo out. He called out the window. "Remember, Duo, midnight!"  
  
Duo nodded. "Trowa, how come you were at the store today anyway?"  
  
Trowa winked as his limo drove off. "Let's just call it magic!"  
  
Duo watched as the car drove off. It was already nine, so the party had been in swing for an hour now. He handed the doorman his invitation, and was led to a grand staircase leading… up into the ballroom. Funny, he always imagined that people descended into the ballroom. He sighed and started climbing up the steps, cursing his glass slippers, which weren't being very comfortable right about now.   



	3. Chapter Two

NY  
Chapter Two  
  
  
Heero sat in a plush chair, dejectedly drinking his champagne. He was bent on getting drunk before the night was through... maybe then all these suitors would start to look better. Didn't his mother understand... he didn't want a relationship right now, not after what happened with Zechs. He sighed. His mother was introducing him to another young girl, though he wasn't paying attention. When his mother started glaring at him he realized that he was supposed to dance with her... this would make it twenty-two dances so far.   
  
Heero led the girl around the dance floor in a waltz that seemed endless. She just kept talking and talking. Out of the corner of his eye he saw some one on the outskirts of the dance floor, eating one of those hors d'oeuvres they were passing around.  
  
Pretty, he thought, before dismissing his current dance partner. "I'm sorry, umm.."  
  
"Dorothy," the girl said, obviously upset that he had forgotten her name in the short span of their dance.  
  
"Yeah, whatever. I have to go."  
  
Dorothy stood fuming on the dance floor as Heero walked away. Heero, on the other hand, had lost sight of the person in blue and was walking through the crowd trying to find him. He finally spotted him out on the balcony, staring out into the sky. He walked up behind the boy, who looked like some kind of demon angel in his blue and silver ensemble.  
  
"Beautiful view, isn't it," he said. The boy didn't turn to look at him.  
  
"Yeah, it is."  
  
"So why aren't you enjoying the party?"  
  
"I don't know, it's not my type of thing."  
  
"Yes, I know what you mean."  
  
"You bored, too?"  
  
"Maybe I wouldn't be if I had some one to dance with."  
  
Duo, taking that as an invitation, turned around to accept when he saw who it was.  
  
"You!"  
  
"I'm sorry, have we met?"  
  
Duo inwardly fumed. The guy didn't even remember who he was. "Apparently not."  
  
"You do look familiar, though. But I don't remember seeing you at any other ball."  
  
"No, you probably haven't."  
  
"Maybe I've seen you in Italy, or Paris? St. Tropez?"  
  
"No, I don't think so."  
  
"Well, who are your parents? They've probably consorted with mine at some point."  
  
So that was it, Heero thought he was one of rich snobs that ran in his social circles. Duo decided to go along with it, just for fun. And for the fact that he might get kicked out if he didn't. "Oh, you probably wouldn't recognize them by name, they're in Russia mostly all the time. St. Petersburg, actually. No time for social activities in the states."  
  
"I see. Would you at least tell me your name?"  
  
"Duo."  
  
Heero waited for a last name, but didn't get one. "Well, since this is my party, would you have the good manners to dance with me?"  
  
Spoiled brat, Duo thought. "Sure."  
  
Heero led Duo out onto the dance floor, holding him a little to close for a customary waltz, but Duo didn't realize. It's not like he had ever waltzed before. He didn't have a hard time keeping up with Heero though, and he fell into step soon enough. The song ended and he turned to go, only to realize that Heero hadn't let go of his hand and waist. He started to protest but Heero just held him tighter and then the next song started.  
  
* * *  
  
Dorothy and Relena scrambled to see who Heero was dancing with, but couldn't see anything past the gorgeous gown and flowing hair.  
  
"You know, that dress looks awfully like a Barton design."  
  
Dorothy nodded in agreement. "You don't think Fei was holding out on us, do you?"  
  
"No, he wouldn't do that. Maybe this guy's an actor or something, you know how celebrities always get the best gowns first."  
  
"Yeah..." Dorothy thought that Heero's dance partner looked vaguely familiar. "But somehow, I don't think so."  
  
* * *  
  
Heero had kept him on the dance floor for twenty songs straight now, and his feet were aching. And it seemed as though Heero was pulling him closer for every dance. Heero pulled Duo's waist in, so that they were cheek to cheek, at the same time Duo leaned forward to squint at the clock hanging on the wall in front of him. That's when he felt it, something hard pressing against his stomach. He eeped and pushed away from Heero, who was blushing furiously.  
  
"I'm sorry," Heero started, but just then the clock struck twelve and Duo turned and ran off.  
  
"Wait!" shouted Heero, running after him. "I'm really sorry, you don't have to leave the ball!"  
  
Duo ran to a taxi, hoping that Trowa wouldn't be mad that he was late. He hadn't counted on a flustered Heero Yuy running after him and adding to the general hecticness in the situation. He stumbled as he got into the taxi, and it wasn't until he was already at Trowa's studio that he realized one foot was a lot more comfortable than the other.  
  
* * *  
  
Heero walked into Barton's studio, weaving past the frantic fitters and models that were running around. He stopped in front of the famous designer, who was adjusting the collar on one model's shirt.  
  
"I have a question," Heero said.  
  
Barton waved off an assistant who was inquiring about set lighting. He didn't need to be bothered with something as trivial as that. "Do you have my shoe?"  
  
"What? How did you know about that?"  
  
"It's fate, Heero. I knew you would bring my shoe back."  
  
Heero looked at Barton funny before holding out the shoe and continuing. "There was a boy at my ball yesterday, he dropped this shoe. It has your name engraved along the heel."  
  
"Yes, I though we already established that, it's my shoe." Barton grabbed the slipper and walked over to another model, slipping the shoe on her left foot. The right foot already held a matching slipper. Heero looked at the model.  
  
"That's the dress he was wearing."  
  
"Who? Duo? Yes, I suppose it was."  
  
"You know him."  
  
Trowa rolled his eyes. "That's stating the obvious, isn't it?"  
  
Heero was getting angry. All he wanted to was find Duo. "Can you tell me where he is?"  
  
"Why should I give you any information? You could be a stalker."  
  
"You know perfectly well that I am not a stalker."  
  
"But really I don't know you at all."  
  
"You know my name, my reputation. That should be enough."  
  
Trowa looked at him a moment before moving on to the next model. "All I'll tell you is he likes to jog in Central Park in the morning."  
  
Heero nodded. He could use that information. "Thank you."  
  
Trowa watched as Heero stormed out... Duo would have his hands full with that one.  
  
* * *  
  
Duo was jogging through the park, enjoying the surprisingly sunny weather. Trowa hadn't been mad at all when he had returned some nights ago missing one shoe, which was strange because it must have cost a small fortune to make, but than he wasn't going to question anything when it worked in his favor. He was stopping to get a drink when some one crashed into him and they both fell to the floor.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, picking himself up.  
  
"No, it's my fault."  
  
Duo recognized that voice. "Heero?"  
  
"Yeah." Prussian eyes looked up into cobalt. "Help me up? Onegai?"  
  
Duo held out a hand and pulled Heero to his feet. "You don't go jogging here."  
  
"It's part of my new exercise regime," Heero lied. He had decided that telling Duo he had been up since 4 am for the last three days waiting for him wouldn't be news well received. "Want to jog together?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Well, that's not a no, right?"  
  
Duo started jogging again, Heero falling in step beside him. "How did you know I jog here?"  
  
"What are you talking about? I started jogging here for exercise."  
  
"I don't think so, Heero."  
  
"I tracked your shoe to Barton, and he told me."  
  
Duo wondered how Trowa knew such a personal fact about him, then realized Quatre must have told him. Those two seemed pretty close. Duo cursed Quatre for never telling him he knew some one that high up in the fashion industry.  
  
"Oh. Well, this is the end of my jogging route."  
  
"Would you like to come to my penthouse for some refreshments? I live here."  
  
Heero pointed to the building right in front of them, a ritzy place with views of the park. Duo had always wanted to see the insides of one of those things. "Sure."  
  
Heero led Duo into the building and elevator, using his key to access the top penthouse level. When the elevator stopped and they got out Duo let out a low whistle of appreciation. The top half of the walls and the ceiling were all glass. The living room was decorated with simple, avant-garde pieces, white leather and glass. The kitchen was ceiling to floor marble, and the rest of the place had wall to wall carpeting. Even the bathroom. He could see a hot tub in the corner, overlooking the balcony and a breathtaking view of the city.  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Yeah," said Heero, "It's nice."  
  
"It must have taken you a while to work up enough cash for this place."  
  
Heero looked at him funny, and he remembered that Heero was one of the filthy rich. "No, it's all paid for from trust funds and such. You understand."  
  
Duo nodded, wondering what he was doing here. Heero wasn't at all his type. "Look, maybe I should just go."  
  
"No! Stay, I'll get you something to drink." Heero led him to a couch and walked into the kitchen. "What would you like? Water? Soda? Juice?"  
  
"Water's fine."  
  
Heero came out with two glasses, one water and one scotch, which he proceeded to gulp down.  
  
"Are you nervous?" Duo asked.  
  
"No, why would you say that? I just have the most gorgeous creature I've ever seen sitting on my living room couch, why would I be nervous?"  
  
Duo smiled. Heero could be kind of cute. "So do you do anything? I mean, besides run around and spend money."  
  
Heero looked confused. "Not really. I help Mother coordinate fundraisers some times."  
  
Duo nodded in approval. "Fundraisers for what?"  
  
"Various charities, I don't really bother to remember which ones."  
  
That was okay, Duo thought, at least it was a start. Maybe Heero's not such an asshole after all.  
  
"Duo?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Do you think we could... go out on a date, sometime?"  
  
Somehow Duo's head started to nod yes before he realized what he was doing. Heero's face lit up.  
  
"Great! When's a good time for you?"  
  
"Umm...I guess Saturday would be fine."  
  
"I'll pick you up at six, then."  
  
* * *  
  
When Heero had said he would take him to a French restaurant, Duo didn't think he would actually take him to France. But now here they were, in Montparnesse, and he was eating violet flavored ice cream at Marche Au Fleurs.  
  
"This was all very nice of you," he said awkwardly. They had talked on the jet ride here, but Duo had always steered the conversation away from himself and onto Heero. Now that they had nothing to talk about he was afraid the conversation would land on him again. He didn't know why he didn't just come out and tell Heero the truth.  
  
"Did you enjoy tonight?"  
  
"Yeah, but it was a little extravagant. I'm not really used to it."  
  
"Not used to it?"  
  
The waiter interrupted them at that moment, asking them if they would like some coffee to finish their meals. Heero looked at Duo, who shook his head no.   
  
"La facture, s´il vous plait."  
  
The waiter nodded and walked off.   
  
On the jet ride home Duo pretended to be asleep so he wouldn't have to deal with the conversation. He needed to think a little. After spending so much time with Heero he didn't think he was such a bad guy; and Heero seemed to be completely enamoured of him. He learned that Heero had gone to Princeton, where he had met Zechs Marquise, his first real relationship. Then Zechs ditched him for Treize Krushenada, the direct descendant of some great Russian czar, and had taken his cat with him. Heero had really liked that cat, among other things. He liked tennis, and cars, and helping at the soup kitchens his mother use to force him to go to. He didn't really seem like such an arrogant guy.  
  
They were walking out of the airport, where Heero's limo was parked outside, when they ran into Relena Peacecraft.  
  
"Duel!" she exclaimed, shocked. Her eyes widened even more at the sight of who the boy was with.  
  
"It's Duo." Duo corrected.  
  
"Whatever. Heero, how pleasant to see you. I met you at your mother's ball, I'm sure you remember me."  
  
"Of course," Heero said, deliberately not addressing her by name. Relena obviously didn't buy it, and she tapped her fingers against her leg in annoyance.  
  
"Then let me introduce myself. I am Relena Peacecraft, sole heir to the Peacecraft line."  
  
"It's nice to see you again, Ms. Peacecraft."  
  
"Please, call me Relena." Relena looked at Duo and turned her nose up in distaste. "Exactly what are you doing with... him?"  
  
Heero didn't like the way Relena had emphasized 'him', as if it were a dirty word.  
  
"I met him at the ball, Relena, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat him so disdainfully."  
  
"The ball?" So that's why the figure in blue had looked so familiar. "Don't be fooled Heero, that boy's nothing. He has no money and no title to his name. He's just an accountant at Barton's store."  
  
"Don't be silly. Duo's not an accountant, and of course he has money and breeding. Right, Duo?"  
  
Heero turned to face Duo, who was looking at him somewhat angrily. "Do you mean to say you wouldn't like me if I didn't have those things?"  
  
Heero looked at him shock. "You mean... you're not-"  
  
"Forget it, Heero, I'll get my own ride home."  
  
Duo ran off before Heero even had a chance to reply. Heero tried to follow the boy but Relena got in his way.  
  
"Heero, let him go."  
  
Heero pushed Relena out of the way and ran after Duo, but couldn't find him. But at least this time, he had a more concrete lead to follow.  
  
* * *  
  
Heero still went jogging every morning, but he never saw Duo. He figured the other boy must have been avoiding him. He went to the Barton store, too, but it had been closed the last few days because of renovations. When it finally was open, he walked in only to find out that Duo had left.  
  
"Do you know where he went?" he asked the owner Wufei. Dorothy and Relena were standing behind him.  
  
"No, he just picked up his things and left."  
  
"Well, you must have his address somewhere, for records and such."  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Yuy, but those records are confidential."  
  
"I'm sure we can come to some agreement, Mr. Chang."  
  
"Heero, can I call you Heero? Let me give you some advice. If you're looking for a spouse, you should stay in your own social circle. There are lots of suitable girls for you in New York alone."  
  
Wufei pushed Relena and Dorothy up a little bit, and Heero took a step back.   
  
"No, thank you." The girls pouted as Heero ran out of the store.  
  
* * *  
  
Duo woke up, yawning and walking to open his window. He needed some fresh air. He sat on the windowsill, looking out at his lovely view of a back alley. Sighing, he went back inside and got changed. The job he had now wasn't at such a classy place as the Barton store, but at least he was working directly with clothes. He was a personal shopper at Bloomingdales. He was walking towards the subway when he looked up and froze. Plastered on the back of the bus stops were pictures of him, taken at the ball, with a short message at the corner. "Pier 43, 7pm".  
  
"Hey kid," said a man who had walked up to him, "I don't know what you did, but you sure are famous. You're on Times Square too."  
  
"Times Square?"  
  
"Yeah, a huge billboard, with this advertisement only bigger. What's Pier 43, any way? Some new tv show?"  
  
Duo shook his head as he ran into the metro. This was all Heero's doing, it had to be. Who else would spend the money and effort? Pier 43... he wondered if he would meet Heero or not.  
  
* * *  
  
Heero walked along the water, eyes focused on the wooden planks at his feet. He knew he was late, but he had to stop by to get something first. He cradled a white box underneath his arm, careful not to drop it or shake it too much. When he got to Pier 43 he took a deep breath and looked up, seeing Duo sitting on the edge, calves swinging back and forth in the water.  
  
"Hey," he said, walking up to Duo.  
  
"Hi." Duo got up and sat down on the bench, inviting Heero to sit down next to him. They sat there for a while, Duo's bare feet still swinging in the air.  
  
Heero started the conversation. "Do you believe in love at first site?"  
  
"No."  
  
"No? You mean you didn't feel anything for me when we first met?"  
  
"When we first met you were a total asshole."  
  
"I didn't think I was that bad at the ball."  
  
"We didn't meet at the ball, we met at the Park. You knocked me down while you were chasing after Zechs, then you almost threatened to kill me."  
  
"Oh. That was you? I'm sorry I wasn't more polite."  
  
"That's okay, that's when you didn't think I was in your class. Heero, answer something for me. That day in the park, when you crashed into me, and thought I was just some low-class average joe trying to make it in this city, which I am, if I had asked you out, would you have said yes?"  
  
Heero answered truthfully. "No. But the point is, I did go out with you, even if it was under false pretenses, and I really liked you. I still do, regardless of everything. And I think, that if a certain low-class average joe trying to make it in the city would ask me out now, I would probably say yes."  
  
"Only probably?"  
  
"Well, I couldn't be certain unless it actually happened, you know?"  
  
"Well, should we introduce ourselves, then?"  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"My name's Duo Maxwell. I have no parents, and enough money to rent a small apartment in South End. I'm a personal shopper right now, but someday I'd like to run my own couture house."  
  
"I'm Heero Yuy, and I've been a jerkoff all my life up until today."  
  
"Is that all you have to say?"  
  
"It's not fair- I've told you all about my life already."  
  
Duo chuckled. "Okay, fine. Heero, would you like to go on a date with me?"  
  
"I'd love too. Duo, I have a present for you."  
  
"Really? And we only just met."  
  
Heero got down on his knees and opened the white box. Slowly, he took out two glass slippers and slid them onto Duo's feet. "They're what led me to you."  
  
"Heero, those are an awfully expensive gift for some one you barely know."  
  
"They're worth every penny. Duo, you said that you didn't believe in love at first site, but would it scare you off if I said that I do?"  
  
Duo shook his head no. "Just don't say what I think you were going to after that line."  
  
"I won't. I'm just saying, give us a chance, you know?"  
  
"Yeah. I know. So when do you want to go on that date?"  
  
"Not on the weekdays, I work now."  
  
Duo chuckled. "Seriously?"  
  
"Yeah, just trying to make it in the city."  
  
"What do you do?"  
  
"I bought a charity organization, so now I'm the president. We collect clothes and stuff for little kids that don't have any."  
  
"Wow, Heero. You really are a Prince Charming."  
  
Heero looked over at Duo. "Does that mean you're my Sleeping Beauty?"  
  
Duo lifted up his feet, encased in little glass shoes. "I think it's Cinderella."  
  
Heero nodded his head in agreement. "It must be, then."   



	4. Epilogue

NY  
Epilogue  
  
  
To: Quatre  
  
CC:  
  
Subject: Congratulate me  
  
I'm so happy! I just got a job with the house of Chanel, you know, it's now headed by Trowa's sister, Catherine Bloom? Well, since she just took over the position, she needed an assistant, and she hired me! I can finally quit that job at Bloomingdales (now, Quatre, don't start, I know I've only been working there a month but the customers were driving me crazy!) Trowa's kind of mad, maybe he wanted to hire me too...sibling rivalry, I guess. Me and Catherine are heading out to Europe to look at fabrics next week.  
  
There's another thing you should congratulate me for, and I don't think you're going to like the news all that much...but I'm married now. Yeah, to Heero, I just moved into his place a few days ago. We had the papers signed in a courtroom. Not very romantic, I know, but it's what we wanted. Guess who was there to see us sign the papers? Relena and Dorothy! That was a gas...they just happened to be there when we decided to go for it and realized we would need witnesses. They're nice to me, though, now that I'm Duo Maxwell-Yuy instead of just Duo Maxwell. Now, I know what you're going to say: we're too young, we barely know each other, but truthfully, Quat? I think it's going to work out. I think this is one of the best decisions I've made in my life. And I think we're going to be happy, me and Heero, living in New York and having our little married coupled spats.   
  
No regrets, Quat. There's only happily ever after.  
  
~Duo   
  
  
~owari ~  



End file.
